Workflow extended notifications

Motivation Automatic Notifications

Motivation
The longest duration in a process is the wait time
Purchaser Prod. Planner

Wait time

Accountant

Wait time

Wait time can be reduced by Informing occasional users that they have work to do in their most frequently visited application groupware (e.g. MS Outlook, Lotus Notes). Simplifying work item selection by providing a process-specific view of the work items
E.g. display document details in the line item E.g. display more document details in the work item details view.

SAP AG 2007, SAP/ 3

Before you start - ROI

Often you will need to apply what you have learned today in existing installations where workflows are already automating the process. Take a snapshot of the wait time statistics before you start.

Try to get a statement from process owner before you start about what consequences an improvement of, say 30%, will bring in terms of hard cash savings or revenue.

SAP AG 2007, SAP/ 4

Current Performance Analysis

Transaction SWI2_DURA

Predefined task groups can be used to monitor different processes. You can also monitor single tasks to spot occasional user roles.

SAP AG 2007, SAP/ 5

Additional Motivation
SAP MAPI and Lotus Notes Integration are being phased out (see SAP Note 627397)
Reasons
Components above are highly groupware-specific and not vulnerable to groupware patches operating system changes Fat client installations are expensive and difficult to roll-out on a large scale

Replacement is needed

SAP AG 2007, SAP/ 6

Motivation Automatic Notifications

Overview of Extended Notifications

SAP Business Workflow

collect workitems

Extended Notifications SAP GUI or Portal UWL End user

process workitem send e-mails

Email Email client

SAP AG 2007, SAP/ 8

Flavours of Notifications
RSWUWFML
Report RSWUWFML Polling report Uses SMTP/SAPconnect mail connection Uses SAP Offices auto-forward address Availability: >= 3.1I

E-Mail Notifications for Business Workflow

Report RSWUWFML2 New Version of RSWUWFML WinGui Shortcuts instead of R3F attachments Availability: 4.6C >= <= 6.20

Extended Notifications for SAP Business Workflow

Server notification framework Availability: Web AS 6.40

SAP AG 2007, SAP/ 9

Releases Supported

>6.40

6.40

6.20
Extended Notifications

6.10

4.6
RSWUWFML2

<4.6
SAP MAPI RSWUWFML

SAP AG 2007, SAP/ 10

Extended Notifications for SAP Business Workflow

Notify users about workitems that need to be processed Send workitems to groupware (E.g.MS Outlook or Lotus Notes) carrying direct callbacks to backend transactions
Execution of web-based workitems (Web Dynpro, People centric UI, ) Execution of workitems via SAP GUI for Windows

SAP AG 2007, SAP/ 11

Individual Notifications
Individual mails possible on a work item by work item basis Or.

SAP AG 2007, SAP/ 12

Aggregated Notification Mail

Shortcut Attachments possible

Index of work items

Workitem Description

Generic Decision Shortcut links

SAP AG 2007, SAP/ 13

Generic Texts Can be Redefined

Redefinable Text

SAP AG 2007, SAP/ 14

Notification Framework
Application Workflow User 1 Notification Framework User 2

User 1

Application Object (Workitem)

User 2

Application Object (Workitem)

User 2

Application Object (Workitem)

SAP AG 2007, SAP/ 15

Feature Comparison (Top 10)

Feature Deliver workitems to any e-mail client SAP Shortcut attachments Prefix AND suffix text (surrounding workitem description) Enhanced address determination Enhanced substitution handling HTML e-mail (Outlook only) Generic decisions Links to new Web UIs (WebDynpro, etc) Lists of workitems in one e-mail Support workitem forwarding via e-mail

SAP MAPI -

RSWUWFML X -

RSWUWML2 X X X X X -

Extended Notifications X X X X X X X X X X

SAP AG 2007, SAP/ 16

Configuring System
SWN_SELSEN is the batch that has to be planned to run periodically. You can run this directly for test purposes. Transaction SWNCONFIG is for advanced configuration. Transaction SWNADMIN is for basic administration.

SAP AG 2007, SAP/ 17

Customizing the Extended Notifications

Selection A Category Selection B (links the collection to the delivery)

Subscription SMS

Subscription e-mailstyle 1 Subscription e-mailstyle 2

Selection C

Tasks Tasks

Tasks

SAP AG 2007, SAP/ 18

Cheatsheet: Selection/Subscription effects

Selection
How recent Update or all Tasks

Subscription
Frequency of arrival Receiving agent Plain or HTML Individual mails or summary Decisions Attachments and URLs

General
Prefix/Suffix

SAP AG 2007, SAP/ 19

Quick Reference of Customizing Effects

Receiving Agent Subject, Prefix Index of work items

Subscription General Subscription Message Granularity

Task Work item Description

Selection Subscription

Generic Decision Shortcut links (and Attachments)

Subscription Subscription

SAP AG 2007, SAP/ 20

Customizing steps
1. Create a Category
All you have to do here is think of a name and description This is always the first step

2. Create a Selection based on this category

Create more selections if you like. Add more later too.

3. Create a Subscription based on the category

You cannot switch the subscription to reference a different category later so be careful to use the correct category before saving Create more subscriptions if you like. Add more later too.

SAP AG 2007, SAP/ 21

Motivation Automatic Notifications

Copyright 2007 SAP AG. All Rights Reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose without the express permission of SAP AG. The information contained herein may be changed without prior notice. Some software products marketed by SAP AG and its distributors contain proprietary software components of other software vendors. Microsoft, Windows, Outlook, and PowerPoint are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. IBM, DB2, DB2 Universal Database, OS/2, Parallel Sysplex, MVS/ESA, AIX, S/390, AS/400, OS/390, OS/400, iSeries, pSeries, xSeries, zSeries, z/OS, AFP, Intelligent Miner, WebSphere, Netfinity, Tivoli, and Informix are trademarks or registered trademarks of IBM Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation. UNIX, X/Open, OSF/1, and Motif are registered trademarks of the Open Group. Citrix, ICA, Program Neighborhood, MetaFrame, WinFrame, VideoFrame, and MultiWin are trademarks or registered trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. HTML, XML, XHTML and W3C are trademarks or registered trademarks of W3C, World Wide Web Consortium, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Java is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. JavaScript is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc., used under license for technology invented and implemented by Netscape. MaxDB is a trademark of MySQL AB, Sweden. SAP, R/3, mySAP, mySAP.com, xApps, xApp, SAP NetWeaver and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries all over the world. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Data contained in this document serves informational purposes only. National product specifications may vary. These materials are subject to change without notice. These materials are provided by SAP AG and its affiliated companies ("SAP Group") for informational purposes only, without representation or warranty of any kind, and SAP Group shall not be liable for errors or omissions with respect to the materials. The only warranties for SAP Group products and services are those that are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services, if any. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty.
SAP AG 2007, SAP/ 23